Territory



(No Model.) E. A. ROUSE & H. SUMMERS.

TUG COUPLING. 'No. 355,474. Patented Jan; 4,1887.

i i, ATTORNEYS.

N. F'ETKRS, PIwbLflMgnpher, Washington, D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT 0FFICE.

RLISHA A. ROUSE AND HENRY SUMMERS, OF BOZEMAN, MONTANA TERRITORY.

TUG-CQUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,474, dated January 4, 1887.

Application filed April 14, 1886. Serial No. 198,880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELISHA A. House and HENRY SUMMERS, of Bozeman, in the county of Gallatin and Territory of- Montana, have invented a new and Improved Tug-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention relates to a device specially adapted to connect tugs or traces of harness to vehicle-whiftletrees, but applicable to other uses; and the invention has for its object to provide a simple inexpensive coupling, which may be easily connected with an eye or ring and will afford a secure fastening.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the coupling, all as. hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a side view of the tug-coupling shown closed, and partly broken away and in section, and a part of the tug to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the coupling opened to attach or release the tug;

' and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line as m, Fig. 1.

The fixed jaw A of the tug-coupling is recessed edgewise and centrally, as at a, to re-- ceive the tongue I; of the movable jaw B, which is pivoted to jaw Aby a pin or screw, 0. At its outer end the jaw Ais provided with a cast pin or stud, D,which may be straight, or curved outward slightly, as shown, and has a stud, (1, extending from its shouldered end,which stud d is adapted to enter a hole, d, in the outer end of the pivoted jawB, as in Fig. 1. The ends of the jaws are shaped to provide'an eye, E, to receive the eye-shank of a whiffletree, a

ring, or any other draft attachment or holdfast to which the coupling is to be connected.

In transverse slots f, made in the side walls of the jaw A, there is fitted to slide a latchbar, F, which is normally forced outward by a spring, G, held in a recess, 9, of jaw A. This latch F is provided at one end with a fixed head, f, and at the opposite end receives on a (No model.)

screw-stud a head, f which'may be screwed up to carry both theheadsff snugly to the opposite faces of the jaw A to cover the slots f, in whichthe latch F slides,and prevententrance of dust or Water to the interior of the coupling through the slots. The heads f f 2 have a halfoval cross-sectional form and taper toward the front, whereby they will shed water easily and will not catch on any object against which the tug H' may strike. At its back end the pivoted jaw B is provided with a shoulder, I, beneath which the latch F is forced by the spring G, when the coupling is closed, as in I ment of the jaw B, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

To attachthe coupling to the tug H the end of the jaw A, or the body of the coupling from which the. jaw projects, will be slotted to .receive the tug, and screws or rivets, as at h, will be passed through the coupling and tug, as

clearly shown in Fig. 3.

To open the coupling it is only necessary to press the opposite heads, f f back to disengage the latch from the shoulder I of jaw B, and the jaw then may be swung outward, 'asin Fig. 2, to allow connection or disconnection of the coupling and trace, and when the coupling is to be closed the jaw B is to be pressed toward the jaw A until the pin (1 enters the hole d, at which time the latch F will be forced by the spring in under the shoulder I of jaw B to lock the jaw firmly closed.

The coupling can be opened only by operating the latch F and lifting the jaw B, which can be done only by hand; hence accidental disconnection of the coupling is quite impossible. A tightened trace may be easily disconnected from the whiffletree when the horse is down.

The coupling is adapted for use in attaching the front ends of the tugs to the hames, or for attaching the tugs to breast-straps of harness, and for other purposes, as will readily be un-' derstood, and for some of these uses the forked or slotted inner end of the coupling will be substituted by a cross-bar to which a strap may be attached.

the coupling, a stud, D, on jaw A, and provided with a pin, d, ajaw, B, pivoted to jaw 15 A, and'provided with a hole, d, and back end shoulders, I J, a latch, F, working in slotsf of the coupling, and provided with end heads,f f, and a spring, G, pressing the latch outward, substantially as herein-set forth.

ELISHA A. ROUSE. HENRY SUMMERS.

Witnesses:

J AOOB DIDAWICK, GEORGE BUDD. 

